


What A Lovely Day To Be Lonely

by KateLouisaRose



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Bazaar Long Distance Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-28
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-19 04:09:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2373986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KateLouisaRose/pseuds/KateLouisaRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carlos talks to Cecil after the election, stuck in the unusual alternate reality. They miss each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What A Lovely Day To Be Lonely

**"Oh, ain't nobody calling**  
 **Ain't nobody home**  
 **What a lovely day to be lonely"**  
 _\- Holding On For Life, Broken Bell_ s

 

Carlos the Scientist pressed ‘save’ on his fifth game of solitaire and checked the little clock on his phone screen. Five thirty; he should be home by now. He skimmed through his contact list and selected the right number. There was a little emoticon heart next to his boyfriend’s name. Carlos didn’t usually go in for that kind of thing, but there was something about that little red bubbly heart that accurately represented his affection for the just-about-passable-for-human man on the other end of the line.

Cecil picked up after the third ring.

“Carlos?!” He sounded frantic, hopeful.

“Cecil it’s me,” Carlos replied gently.

“Thank the Never-Smiling God, I’d almost given up after the first six calls...” Cecil murmured.

“First six– Cecil, how many people have been calling you?”

“Four of those calls were from Steve,” there was a somehow audible grimace, as though Cecil was trying to get used to how the name tasted in his mouth when it was not tinged with hatred. “Steve Carlsberg,” he continued, “checking in on his ‘new best buddy’ Cecil. I couldn’t _not_ pick up because it might have been you.”

“Why is Steve calling you?” Carlos asked, not really bothered about the answer but just happy to listen to Cecil.

“I don’t know!” Cecil wailed, “I can’t hate him now, I don’t know what to do!” Carlos grinned. “My life is a lie,” Cecil sobbed on the other end.

“Cecil,”

“He keeps asking if I want to go to the gym with him, or if I want his recipe for lemon pecan pie!”

“That doesn’t sound so bad…”

“I’m living a nightmare.”

Carlos chose not to comment on the irony of that statement and instead listened to the quiet, desolate moaning from his phone.

“Ce-Cecil?”

“Yes, yes sorry, how is it there, is it warm?”

Carlos looked around the strangely empty landscape. “I guess, it’s a little warm, why?”

Cecil made a relieved sound. “Good, is it dark there too?”

“Of course,” Carlos replied patiently, “but why did you ask?”

“It’s warm here too,” Cecil replied, as though that made perfect sense. “And it’s dark. It’s good to know we’re in the same time frame, roughly speaking. At least there is a small possibility that we’re looking at the same sky. Although, I hope that the one above you doesn’t have the flaming helicopter plummeting towards the ground as we speak.”

Carlos cast a cautionary glance around the sky, mostly void, partially stars, and rested his chin on his palm. “It’s quiet, no burning helicopters of dubious governmental association.” Cecil breathed a contented sigh.

“Thank goodness.” He replied. “How’s the battery doing?”

Carlos moved the phone away from his ear and studied the screen. “Ninety-seven percent! No, wait, huh that’s funny, it just went _up_ to ninety-eight percent.” Carlos stared at the little numbers curiously. “I wonder if it will lose battery when I plug it in…”

“I love you,” Cecil said suddenly. Carlos started.

“Oh, I love you too. What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. I remembered that you had said it earlier in your message, and I had forgotten to say it back. So, I love you.”  

“Me too,” Carlos said again, smiling into the phone.

“I’ve been speaking with several of the Erikas that came through the doors with Dana, to see if we can figure out how to get you back.”

“Any progress?”

“Some, but they seem more interested in pursuing the stray cat that is wandering the neighbourhood, so I thought it best not to bother them for now.”

“Does the cat have some kind of divine significance?”

“No, I think they just want to pet the cat.”

“That’s disappointing.”

“Not really,” Cecil said diplomatically, “it’s a very friendly cat.”

“Oh.” Carlos said. There was the sound of a teaspoon stirring in a cup, and the fridge door opening and closing. “So I heard the results of the election.” Carlos said warily.

“Yes, that was a surprise.” Cecil replied, speaking with his mouth full of chocolate biscuit.

“How are Hiram and the Faceless Old Woman taking the news?”

“Well, Hiram has been wandering in the streets for some hours now, occasionally setting fire to things. The Night Vale Fire Department has taken to following him around until he calms down.”

“And the Old Woman?”

“I’m not entirely sure if she could be described as feeling anything, but just a moment ago I found a severed sheep’s head in the fridge, so I imagine she is appropriately irate about the whole situation. Then again that could be a peace offering... or maybe a warning.”

“Be safe.”

“Oh I will. I made a cup of tea just now and left an extra mug on the kitchen counter with a teaspoon of vanilla syrup stirred in, that seems to have pacified her.” There was a brief pause, then an exasperated groan.

“What is it?” Carlos asked, panicked.

“The walls are bleeding again. I only just got the stains out from last time! How _frustrating_.”

“There’s some bleach under the sink.”

“Thank you,”

Carlos ran a hand through his hair, listened to the sounds of Cecil scrubbing hard at the stained walls and missed him terribly.

“What are you wearing?” Carlos asked thoughtfully.

“A shirt and slacks, and that tie you brought me.” Cecil answered immediately, and then Carlos could hear his footsteps on the carpeted stairs as they creaked.

“The one with the cats?”

“Yeah, the one that’s saying ‘you’re purr-fect’.”

“I like that tie.”

“Me too…”

Carlos spun his glasses in his hand, “How’s Khoshekh?”

“Mending. He misses you, I think.” He could imagine Cecil beckoning a poorly looking Khoshekh over for a scratch behind the ears. The cat tended to be more compliant with the law of gravity these days, although there were times when he would begin to drift upwards while walking, emitting a startled mew as he floated a few feet in the air and hung there, stationary.

“I miss him too.”

“Carlos?”

“Yeah?”

“Why did you want to know what I was wearing?” Carlos smiled, lay down with his lab coat beneath his head and looked up at the stars.

“No reason.” He said softly. “I love you, Cecil. Very much.”


End file.
